


If you get lost, you can always be found

by caitrionabh



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, also fuck you emily for bringing this up, and then fell prey to my weakness for ragtag groups becoming families, dadchi, daichi needs a break, dont judge my scientific accuracy please i'm a psych major, rip mr and mrs sugawara, suga needs a hug, this started with a suggestion for space pirates and got out of hand, this universe contains what is basically slavery so if that makes you uncomfortable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5999041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitrionabh/pseuds/caitrionabh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suga has a bone to pick with the galaxy. Daichi has a weakness for good causes. What could possibly go wrong?</p>
<p>Apparently you can wind up adopting a bunch of stray kids.</p>
<p>(updates are probably going to be sporadic at best because i'm in my last semester of college so apologies in advance but i'll try my best to keep it going)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. what's the worst that could happen?

A stroke of luck and a little bit of patience is what had lead them here, at least according to Sugawara. Daichi, on the other hand, still wasn’t exactly convinced that this wasn’t yet another attempt on Suga’s part to get him killed (or at the very least give him a heart attack at the tender age of 22). Being spaced, forced into the mineral mines, or abandoned on a random asteroid were foremost among the thoughts of possible consequences for being caught after all. So he spent at least twice as long as usual peering around every corner, and checking back over their shoulders for the cavalry that, in his mind, had to be coming. 

“If you get any more nervous they’re going to hear your heart before your footsteps.”

Nearly jumping out of his skin, but thankfully not making excessive noise, Daichi turned to glare at Suga, who looked as close to relaxed as one could be under the circumstances, almost grinning at Daichi’s startled reaction.

Forcing himself to keep breathing, Daichi hissed, “Are you trying to get us caught?”

“No.” Suga replied. “I just thought you’d want to know that the door across the hall leads into the security for the main hold.”

“And…”

“And that will let us catch some video footage of the surrounding halls and give us access to the maintenance passages where we’re less likely to get caught.” he continued, looking smug.

“Why can’t you just say that next time.” Daichi muttered under his breath.

Giving one last glance to check that the coast was clear, the two slipped across the hallway and through the door Suga had indicated. Once inside, Daichi froze, causing Suga to run into him. He stepped out from behind him, about to complain but the sight of a single guard boredly scanning the monitors stopped the words dead in his throat. 

“What now?” the guard grumbled, not even turning to look. “Why do I even need to do this? None of the brats have done anything other than whine and cry, nothing new.”

Shooting a sidelong glance at Suga, Daichi saw him stiffen, but before he could reach out a hand to stop him, Suga had stepped forward, reaching into his jacket pocket.

The guard continued, oblivious. “Seriously, they probably aren’t even worth the money we-”

He was cut off rather abruptly as Suga jammed the stun gun into his spine, clapping a free hand over the man’s mouth to stop any noises and holding tight until he was unconscious.

“Suga?”

He was ignored as Suga stowed his weapon and quickly and efficiently disarmed, bound, and gagged the guard, before moving to the computer and using the ID he stole to pull up the ship’s records. As he scanned them, the line of his shoulders remained tense, but when he turned back to Daichi, his face hid his anger.

“There’s only 5 on this one. All about 10 or 11. We should get going.”

There was a moment of brief hesitation as Daichi glanced between the prone guard and Suga, who was now unlocking a small door almost hidden in the wall that lead into a twisting network of tunnels. There was a conversation that needed to happen but they were under a bit of a time crunch so he supposed this was a talk that would have to wake. An impatient noise from Suga called him back and he followed him into the dim, red lit tunnels.

Suga now took the lead, carefully and expertly guiding the way through the maze of pipework and hidden trails that made up the underground of all ships. He was quietly grateful for the experiences that made this hidden world a familiar navigable place - the automatic and easy crouch that meant Daichi was the only one who occasionally ran head first into pipelines, knowledge of which passages to avoid, sure footing even in the most uneven passages - even while hating the circumstances under which they were learned, and 5 minutes later, with another swipe of the guard’s ID they stepped back out into one of the ship’s main hallways straightening and blinking in the bright light.

Daichi cleared his throat and Suga turned towards him. “I’ll check the hallways for guards, you work on getting the bay doors open?” he suggested.

Suga nodded, and decided to see if luck was with them as he once more pulled swiped the guard’s stolen ID card. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be that simple and the light flickered red, the door staying firmly shut.

“Time to do things the old fashioned way.” he said, reaching into his pack and pulling out his screwdrivers and a small, selfmade door code hacker.

When Daichi noticed him getting these out, the weight of anxiety descended again. “Won’t that trigger an alarm?”

“Daichi please, don’t be afraid to live a little.” Suga teased as he jimmied open the panel, revealing a mess of wires and the door’s circuit. “Besides, it’ll be fine. I made this myself and one of its jobs is to stop the alarm.”

Daichi made a noise that seemed to indicate that things were already not fine, despite what Suga might think. He watched while Suga hooked up the coder to the door’s circuit and began tapping out instructions, letting out a breath he wasn’t even aware he’d been holding when blaring alarms didn’t immediately alert everyone on the ship to their presence.

“Aha!”

The door’s lock flashed green and the doors slid open revealing the cargo hold. From inside, a group of terrified kids turned to stare back at them, most trying to hide themselves behind either boxes or each other.

Suga turned back to Daichi for a moment. “Don’t frown so much, you’ll scare them.” he said, with a grin, gently flicking him in the forehead. “Remember we’re supposed to be rescuers.”

“I think the term for cargo theft is piracy, Suga.” he called after him as Suga walked away.

Suga turned back to him with a glacial look, that cold anger breaking through the normally cheery facade again. Even knowing that the anger there wasn’t really aimed at him, Daichi shivered.

“People aren’t cargo.”


	2. rules of engagement

Sugawara had learned early that if you wanted to survive in this world, you needed rules. Hard lines that protect you from the air ducts of Limbo to the opulent mansions of people whose comfort came at the price of other’s freedom. Rules that can even save you from yourself.

Rule 1: Don’t ask, don’t tell.

This one was learned early. No one cares if you’re so hungry it hurts. In fact, among the duct rats tears were just a sign of weakness, especially if you were older, painting a target on your back. You’re sick? Tired? Miss your parents? Just keep it to yourself. And keep out of other people’s problems. You can’t help every kid that pisses of a Housemaster and you can’t parent every new rat pup who can’t tell a safe nest from a spacer.

Rule 2: Keep your head down.

Doesn’t matter if you’re facing gangs, Seekers, or Housemasters, open defiance doesn’t do you any favors. And until you can make a mask keep angry eyes pointed down, hidden from scrutiny.

Rule 3: Avoid attachments.

An ally is one thing. A friend is a dangerous weakness. Pity and affection can too easily be used against you. As hard as it is, being alone is safer.

Rule 4: Don’t look a gift shuttle in the engines.

Even if those engines are stolen, or still warm from flight. Don’t let morals get in the way of an opportunity to survive. Misfortune might spare you by striking someone else.

And finally, Rule 5: Remember your real enemy.

Another kid might be competition for resources but they didn’t make the system. One kid’s step out of line might lose you food for a week but it was the Housemasters that took it away. They’re the one’s that bought you. And Seekers are the one’s who are selling. Everyone else is just trying to survive.

Over the years it had been this rule that stuck beyond all others. It took precedence, it kept him sane. When rage bled into sight, dyeing vision red, when the youngest duct rats, just pups, got trapped in a venting duct, when speaking up could bring punishment down on you but save someone else, Suga was willing to throw out his rules and throw caution to the wind. So now, confronted with kids about to be sold into the life whose memories still dragged him from sleep most nights, his anger was only outweighed by his relief that finally he could do something about it.

He was suddenly grateful for the presence of Daichi behind him. With all that was going through his head a cruiser could have opened fire in the hold and he might not have noticed. So at least one of them was watching their backs. Shaking his head slightly, he dragged his attention back to the kids in front of him, doing his best to banish the lingering ghosts of the hundreds of others he’d seen in almost the same place.

There were five of them, four boys and a girl, all about 11 years old if he had to guess. One of the boys, taller than the others, was facing them, his expression twisted into what was supposed to be a threat, but was belied by the fear in his eyes, the way one arm was twisted back, his fingers curled desperately into the fabric of the tunic of the smaller, freckled boy behind him. The smallest boy, with a shock of red hair, clutched at the young girl, both crouched behind a crate, trying to make themselves smaller or invisible. The last boy was alone, his only movement was his eyes, impassively watching them, but telling tension held in tight shoulders and clenched fists.

Suga felt the rage bubbling up again, acidic taste rising in the back of his mouth. These were  _ kids _ . They should have been in a home, with a family that loved them, the most stressful part of their life being homework or missing curfew to play with friends. But instead they were here, frightened and miserable, waiting to be sold into a life that no one deserved (except perhaps the people doing the buying and selling).

Somewhat distantly, he heard Daichi clear his throat and cautiously say, “I thought you said if we frowned we’d scare them.”

Blinking in surprise, Suga realized that his anger would be obvious to anyone within a mile, and recognizing the suggestion behind the remark, he took a breath, pushing the anger down. He could deal with it later.

Daichi moved towards the kids but Suga held up a hand to stop him, shaking his head slightly when Daichi shot him a questioning glance. They would keep their distance for the moment, try not to scare the kids anymore than they already had.

“Hey.” he said softly. “My name’s Sugawara Koushi, and this is Sawamura Daichi. What are your names?”

The redhead looked up at them curiously, a glimmer of hope in his expression.  _ He can’t have been here long then _ , thought Suga.

“Hinata. Hinata Shoyou. Are you here to save us?”

The tallest boy hissed. “What are you doing, idiot?”

Suga understood the reluctance. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Seekers had used hope as a trick to break their captives. But if they were going to get out of here in one piece he needed them to trust him, even if it was just a little bit.

“What do you want with us?” The boy with freckles asked from behind his friend, his tone suggesting the question hadn’t quite meant to be asked out loud. And almost immediately, he shrank back further, like he was expecting retaliation for his outburst.

Daichi got down on one knee, closer to eye level with the kids before speaking. “I know you’re scared. But we want to help you get out of here.”

The young girl scrambled up to join Hinata just behind the others. The tallest boy shifted slightly to put himself between Daichi and them, as well as his friend. 

“How can we trust you?” He demanded.

Swallowing down bitterness, Suga stepped forward and held up his right arm, pulling loose the cloth bandage he had wrapped tightly around it and revealing a tattoo of a barcode and serial number. His tag. Physical and near permanent proof that he’d once been someone else’s belonging.

“Because.” Suga said simply. “In a way, I’m just like you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for the wait but i did warn you.
> 
> please don't hesitate to ask if any of my made up slang doesn't make sense but hopefully in context it will make a little bit easier especially once more chapters are up with will build the world up


	3. gotta make a getaway

Surprise rippled through the group of kids, and even Daichi was looking back at him, struggling to hide his shocked expression. It wasn’t like he hadn’t told anyone, it was just that even looking at the tattoo made him want to claw the skin off of his forearm to be rid of it. But he left intact as a reminder, a promise.

A promise he was about to start making good on.

“I know it’s sudden, and I know you have every reason not to trust us.” He said. “But Daichi and I do want to help you, and for that we need just a little bit of trust.”

This time it was the lone boy who spoke. “And if you do manage to rescue us? What then?”

Suga heard Daichi sigh. They - mostly Suga - hadn’t exactly planned that far out and they’d been hoping this wouldn’t come up until they were safe and away.

But deciding honesty was the best policy, Suga answered, “Honestly, we don’t know. We have a place you can stay for a while if you want, but after that…” He shrugged. “It’s kinda up to you. We’re making this up as we go.”

The boy considered that for a moment, the seemingly perpetual scowl on his face deepening slightly. After a moment he looked up, meeting Suga’s gaze solemnly.

“Kageyama Tobio.” He said. “I’ll go with you.”

Suga nodded, a brief relieved smile crossing his face before turning to the other four. The freckled boy tugged on the taller’s sleeve, pulling him down to whisper something in his ear. His friend shook his head vehemently, but after a second inaudible statement, he threw another mistrustful glance at Suga and Daichi before turning and nodding down at the others.

“Okay, we’ll come.”

Breathing a small sigh of relief Daichi asked, “Can we know your names?”

The girl answered first. “My name is Yachi Hitoka, sir.” There was a layer of anxiety under the stiff words and posture, and Suga guessed she’d been reprimanded for improper introductions at least once.

“You don’t have to call us sir, Yachi.” Daichi said gently. “Daichi and Suga are fine, okay?”

In response, she offered them a small, shy smile.

Encouraged, the freckled boy answered next. “Yamaguchi Tadashi.”

And when the silence stretched, he elbowed his friend in the side, earning him a scowl, but successfully prompting him to answer.

“Tsukishima Kei.”

“And we already know Hinata.” Suga finished, smiling slightly at the boy. He glanced at his watch, the interface screen showing the timer. They were a little behind where he’d hoped they’d be and things could be about to get tricky.

“Okay guys, I know this is happening fast but I want us all out of here as quickly and quietly as possible. So if you’re ready we should get moving.”

Hinata slipped out from behind the crates, practically bounding over to them, talking a mile a minute. Only half listening Suga gathered that the boy was half interrogating Daichi over the escape plan, wanting to know if they were going to get to ride in a shuttle, and if this time he could sit by a window so he could see the stars. Yachi and Kageyama joined next, with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi close behind.

Once gathered, Daichi interrupted Hinata’s flood of questions. “Alright now, we need to make it to the docking bay, but we have to be quick and quiet, okay? Once we’re out I’ll make sure you get a window seat.”

Surprised that Hinata didn’t actually start vibrating with excitement, Suga added, “Stick close to each other and to us.”

With nods of understanding from their new charges, Daichi and Suga, started leading the way back through the hallways leading to the hold until they found their exit from the service tunnels. Suga took the lead again, leading them through the labyrinth in a slightly different direction than before, followed by the kids and then Daichi in the rear. Now that they had a guard’s ID they could exit the tunnels right into the hangar, and as they neared their destination, Suga began to feel a glimmer of hope that they might actually get away unnoticed.

And then the alarms started.

Daichi heard cries of surprise and fear from the children, and curses from Suga. He swore softly to himself once, before starting to gently but hurriedly usher the kids further along. Kageyama went easily enough, and though pale and clinging to each other, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi began moving again with encouragement, but Yachi was frozen, and Hinata was trying to drag her along both of their faces tearstreaked and petrified. After a moment of hesitation, he simply scooped Yachi up, and taking Hinata’s hand in his free one, started moving again, as fast as he was able in the cramped space.

They caught up to Suga and the the others just as they reached the door into the hangar. Suga swiped the ID and let out a frustrated growl as the lock light flashed red.

“Fuck.” he snarled. “We do not have time for this.”

He yanked the lock panel off the wall, triggering another alarm and gesturing the rest of them back, he covered grabbed one of the exposed wires, covered his face, and with one sharp tug, snapped the wire in half. He was showered in sparks and the door unlocked, allowing Suga to jimmy it open. After a brief struggle, he had the doors open, and they were moving again, tumbling into the hangar and running towards an idling shuttle parked near the doors.

As they approached, the door slid open, and Suga and Daichi quickly helped the kids scramble in. Daichi followed them, and turned to see that Suga had paused, hand on the door, watching as the ship’s security began to stream into the hangar, shouting as they spotted them. Anger and hatred was etched clearly in the tense lines on Suga’s face and once again Daichi was struck by the thought that there was a conversation here that he needed to have, but if they didn’t leave now he might never get the chance.

“Oi, we need to go!” He shouted, and startled from his thoughts, Suga pulled himself into the shuttle, the door sliding closed behind him.

A half panicked voiced called back to them from the cockpit. “Hold on, this is gonna be a little rough.”

And with that warning, the shuttle lifted, turning sharply and jolting the passengers. Suga was thrown into Daichi, and they heard Yachi give a startled cry as she tumbled into Kageyama.

Again the shuttle tilted, and clinging to whatever handholds they could find, the passengers it rode out, until suddenly everything steadied.

“We’re out of range for now, unless they try to pursue.” Came the pilot’s voice again. He turned to look back at them. “Sorry about that. Everyone okay?”

Daichi took a quick inventory of himself, noting areas tenderness that were likely to become bruises, but nothing else. He looked over at Suga, who nodded tiredly, and then scanned the kids, who besides looking afraid and exhausted seemed no worse for wear.

Still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get them into actual seats. Standing, he pulled Suga to his feet before turning to Yachi and picking her up, gently sitting her on one of the benches. Hinata scrambled up next to her and his heart squeezed painfully when he noticed that the two of them were skinny enough that they fit in the same belt. Kageyama sat next to them and quietly buckled himself in, nodding slightly when asked if he was alright. Behind him he could hear Suga talking to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, who were both still clutching each other's hands. After making sure they were fastened in safely, Suga took the seat next to them. Everyone settled, he answered the pilot’s question.

“We’re all good, Asahi. Thanks. And good job on getting us out of there.” He grinned slightly. “Wasn’t sure a scaredy-cat like you would be up to the challenge.”

Asahi made an indignant noise - almost a whine really - and Daichi’s grin widened. With a questioning look at Suga to make sure he had things handled - he was waved off with an eyeroll and a head shake - he left to join his friend in the front passenger seat.

Asahi waited until they could hear Suga talking quietly to the kids before asking “So now what?”

Sighing, Daichi looked out the window. “I don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay life and college continue to kick my ass. come scream with me over haikyuu!! at [oikawtf](http://oikawtf.tumblr.com/) on tumblr


	4. reflections of the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: this chapter does start to talk more about the whole slavery thing so just in case that makes you uncomfortable i wanted to give you a heads up

Kageyama watched as the others settled in for the journey. In the seat next to him Hinata was already unconscious, all thoughts of a promised window seat forgotten, and Yachi was beginning to nod off as well. Across the way Yamaguchi dozed on Tsukishima’s shoulder. Besides himself, Tsukishima was the only kid not sleeping, but that was hardly surprising. Kageyama hadn’t known him long but he already knew that the chances of Tsukishima sleeping in these strangers presence without Yamaguchi to keep watch were slim.

And speaking of the strangers, Sugawara was still quietly sitting with them, seeming almost half asleep as well. There was something about him that reminded Kageyama of…

_ No,  _ he thought.  _ It won’t be like that. Not again. They’re not like him. _

But it was odd to see someone Sugawara’s age with a tag. Especially someone free. Kageyama wondered how he’d gotten out, whether he’d tell them that story.

He wondered whether Sugawara had gotten out by leaving someone behind.

In an effort to avoid those thoughts he turned his mind to the other man, Daichi. He didn’t look like the type to be tagged - definitely wouldn’t have been a house attendant at any rate - so what was in it for him? Why would he risk anything for a bunch of tagged kids he didn’t even know?

_ Well, he knows at least one person with a tag... _

And just like that his thoughts - and eyes - were back on Sugawara. Unfortunately, Suga had noticed his curious gaze, and when he raised his eyes from the re-bandaged wrist, he found himself meeting Suga’s gaze directly. Stiffening, he dropped his eyes to the floor and waited for the reprimand or blow that was sure to follow such disrespect.

Instead, he only heard a soft sigh before a hand reached out and gently covered one on his, where it lay balled into a fist in his lap. Startled, he looked up at Suga again and found that his expression wasn’t the one of anger he had expected, but was instead a soft concern.

“No one is going to punish or yell at you, Kageyama. Not here. Not anymore.”

His voice sounded tinny, distant, despite how close they were sitting. Kageyama swallowed past the lump in his throat, his mouth suddenly dry. And despite his efforts to hold the question back, it burst out through years of forced silence into the quiet shuttle.

“What happened to you?”

Chest tight, Kageyama held his breath and waited for Suga to yell, to leave, to do anything but watch him in silence.

And then Suga looked away, jaw clenching and nostrils flared. He took a breath. And then another.

“It’s not a happy story.” he said, before looking back at him ruefully. “Though I’m sure you could have guessed that.”

Kageyama hesitated a moment, and then answered, “I know. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but…”

“But you want to hear it anyway.” Suga finished.

He nodded.

Suga leaned back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Slowly letting it out, he opened his eyes and began.

“I was born on one of the lunar satellite bases. As places to grow up go, it’s probably not a bad one, but I wasn’t lucky enough to know about that.

“As for my parents, I don’t know much about what they did or what they were like. I only know where we came from because of things they left behind. What I do know is that when I was very young my parents must have lost almost everything because by the time I was 3 we had left for Limbo.

“I don’t know how much you know about Limbo but it’s not a pleasant place. People usually end up there because they have nowhere else to go. It’s lawless, full of gangs, violence, and corruption. And if you don’t have the money to leave or the means to survive it’ll eat you alive.

“That’s what happened to my parents. Two gangs tried to stake a claim to the same block and when the fight broke out my parents were caught in the crossfire. So suddenly I was 6 and alone on a colony where orphans are considered lucky if they make it past 10.

“Stray kids aren’t exactly welcome on Limbo, so if you want to survive, you’d better keep out of the way of the gangs. We hid in old air ducts, along unused service tunnels, any nook or cranny we found we would make our own. Scurrying through the underbelly of the colony and earning us the nickname duct rats.

“To survive you have to be fast and resourceful. You have to know how to escape and where to hide. Some places are safe, but pick the wrong air duct and you could end up vented into space or suffocated. Sometimes we all worked together, and there was a sense of unity against threats or outsiders, but in the end a duct rat can only rely on themselves. There’s a reason that most don’t make it, but for better or for worse I made it for 2 years, stealing food or pickpocketing enough credits to buy the things I needed.

“And then the Seekers came.

“I spent over a year with them once they caught me. Training me in the skills I would be expected to know and beating obedience into me along the way. The latter took the longest. I’d spent too long fighting for myself to be so easily broken, but I was also smart enough to realize that I’d have a better chance of making it out down the line if I faked defeat now.

“And so eventually they sold me off to a Housemaster. I never cared enough to find out what exactly he did to earn him enough money to buy people’s lives, I just quietly did what I was expected to do. Cleaning, making clothes, cooking, anything and everything. And all the while I kept my eyes open, watching carefully for any opportunity to get away, hoping I was quiet enough that my absence would be missed long enough for me to disappear.

“As it happens, it didn’t exactly work out that way. You may have noticed that I have a habit of getting into risky situations to help others out. Well I stood up to protect one of the new kids from a particularly cruel Housemaster, and in addition to some cuts and bruises, I earned myself a reputation. And though I didn’t know it, they had started to keep a much closer eye on me. So when I went to run, they were ready and waiting.

“Having decided that I wasn’t worth the investment since I had tried to run away, the Housemaster sold me to the meteor mines. And suddenly I was staring a survival rate even lower than the duct rats in the face. Those places are almost the sole reason the Keepers need to catch so many kids. They go through them by the dozen. Between the half broken equipment, brutal punishments, and back breaking work it’s a miracle if you make it through your first week.

“By 17, against all odds a year into mining, I’d given up on getting out. So when the mining pod next to mine struck flint after leaking flammable gases for over an hour I thought it was over. But somehow, despite almost having a hole blown through the metal plating, and having been knocked out by the explosion, the pod had maintained pressure, and I was alive.

“I don’t remember much else from that day, everything else is fuzzy, I guess from hitting my head. But even in that state I managed to somehow get the pod moving and get out of there. 

“When I finally reached the surface I tried the radio, and from the patchy signal I managed to figure out that they thought I was dead, which by all rights I should have been. And since I was dead, no one was going to come looking for me. Besides, we were expendable, and if I was injured I couldn’t work and would be worthless to them anyway.

“This was the kind of opportunity I’d been waiting for. The pod was pretty badly damaged but the risk of piloting it in open space was still less than the risks of staying. So I left. And by some kind of miracle I made it back to Limbo, not because it’s a good place to go but because it’s a good place to get lost.

“I thought I was finally free but I forgot one detail: my tag. I’d spent so much of the last 9 years trying to forget it was there that I forgot that other people could see it and would know what it meant. I thought it was over. I thought I was going back to die.

“Fortunately, while Limbo is an awful place, there are still a few people there who are good. One of those people saw what was happening and by pretending to be the one who owned me, saved me from discovery. He took me in and has spent the last 4 years hiding and helping me.

“It’s amazing how something as simple as kindness can change your view so dramatically. That’s what he did for me, and I decided then that I would find out a way to keep that change going. That’s why I’m here.”

Suga finished, and the silence hung in the air. Kageyama struggled to find words to respond to the story, or at least call Suga back from the memories that he’d forced him to relive.

The tension was broken by the quiet clearing of a throat, and both Suga and Kageyama looked up to see Daichi standing in the cockpit door.

“It's, uh, gonna be another hour or so before we make it back, but I wanted to make sure everything was okay back here.”

“We’re good. Thanks.” Suga smiled reassuringly, but the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Daichi gave him a long look, but said nothing else, just sighed and returned to the front, letting the door slide closed behind him.

Looking back over at Suga, Kageyama said, “Sorry.”

“For what?” Suga asked, cocking his head.

“That was- I didn’t mean- You’re not-”

“It’s okay.” Suga said, interrupting his floundering attempts at apologies. “If I wasn’t okay with telling you, I wouldn’t have.”

They sat in silence for a moment and then Kageyama looked up at him, the tentative beginnings of a smile on his face.

“Thank you. For everything.”

Suga’s answering smile was the brightest he’d seen yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shout out to Darien because without them this chapter would be dead and buried for another month.


	5. sometimes quiet is violent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: in this chapter a character has a panic attack so this is a warning for that

Despite what it might look like from the outsider, Tsukishima was anything but asleep. He wasn’t even drowsy. That’s not to say that he wasn’t tired, because he was. Exhausted in that bone deep, eyes beyond burning, way that he had come to consider normal. But even so, surrounded by near strangers and with Yamaguchi sound asleep on his shoulder, sleep was the farthest thing from his mind.

So while he was willing to close his eyes, he kept his ears open.

Sugawara’s story had certainly been… eye-opening. It was certainly plausible, though his being alive was a miracle in and of itself, but what wasn’t entirely clear was what was going to happen to them. It was one thing to take in one runaway, but 5 fugitives? That would be pushing it on a good system, and from Sugawara’s story and the rumors he’d heard Limbo was far from good.

And this talk about passing on kindness. Nonsense. No one could care that much about people they’ve never met.

His thoughts turned more nebulous, and without meaning to, a blink that was supposed to last mere seconds ended up being what might have been minutes. Realizing he’d drifted farther than he’d wanted to towards sleep he shifted, trying to bring himself back to wakefulness, and as he did so he noticed a conspicuous absence of warmth next to him.

His stomach dropped, heart suddenly racing, propelling him from exhaustion to full awareness in a matter of seconds. He could feel his chest tightening almost painfully, breath coming faster, a sudden sweat chilling his extremities even as he could feel his torso burning.

And then he went to stand.

He’d forgotten where he was, that the restraints were there for safety, that they were even there at all. So when he felt the resistance of straps his mind jumped back to old fears, pushing him farther over the edge.

_I have to go. I need to go. Where’s Yamaguchi. I can’t lose him. I can’t lose someone else, I can’t._

Fumbling the restraints buckles with numb and shaking hands, he was stopped in his second attempt to escape by a gentle but firm grasp.

“You know we’re still in deep space right? Where are you trying to go?” Sugawara asked, a trace of tired amusement in the question. But when he noticed the slightly glassy eyes and panic on the boy’s face his expression turned to concern.

Tsukishima recoiled from the touch, the unfamiliar voice, trying unsuccessfully to pull his hands out of the firm grip they were held in. His gaze travelled around but he couldn’t focus, couldn’t figure out where he was, what was in front of him, _who_ was in front of him.

“Tsukishima? Can you hear me?” And when the only response was continued attempts to free his hands from Sugawara’s grasp, he pressed on, “Kei?”

And that was the tipping point.

_No one calls me that. Not even Yamaguchi. The only one who ever had was-_

It was like the air had become viscous and heavy, like there wasn’t enough of it. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything. The sound of his given name on unfamiliar lips broke the last tenuous thread that had held him afloat, and without it he slipped under a wave of panic. The light in the shuttle had been dim to start but now darkness began to edge into his vision as his breaths reached a point where his lungs failed to pull much needed oxygen from the air before he breathed it out.

Realizing that Tsukishima was out of his reach, Sugawara turned to the only person he thought might have a chance at bringing him back.

Yamaguchi had shifted off of Tsukishima’s shoulder and was now resting against the shuttle wall. He looked dead to the world, but it took only a light touch to wake him. He started into consciousness, quietly taking in his surroundings before he seemed to remember where he was. Once he knew that, he turned to see who (or what) had woken him, and discovered that it had been Sugawara. He turned, confused, with a question on his lips to see why Tsukishima hadn’t been the one to wake him, and in a glance took in his friend.

Tsukishima’s hands were white-knuckled and trembling, wrapped around the restraints, pulling at them weakly. His stare was glassy and unfocused, face pale. His breath came fast and rough, his whole torso heaving and shaking, and yet despite this effort he was almost entirely silent.

Unbuckling himself, Yamaguchi pushed his questions aside. The reason for the attack didn’t matter until Tsukishima was through it.

Pushing Sugawara gently out of the way, he reached out and gently pried open one of Tsukishima’s hands, pressing it between his own.

“Tsukishima?” he asked softly.

When he got no response Yamaguchi decided to break some rules. He squeezed his still shaking hand, reaching out with his other to cup Tsukishima’s cheek and carefully tilt his head, forcing him to look directly at Yamaguchi.

“Tsukki?”

It had been almost a year since Tsukishima had forbidden him from using the nickname. He was afraid if they looked too close, too fond of each other, Yamaguchi might be punished for Tsukishima’s bad attitude. But it was the only way he could think to reach him, and when Tsukishima’s gaze suddenly focused on him, he knew it had worked.

He moved the hand on Tsukishima’s face up to gently run through the short blond locks and began speaking quietly. “Hey, Tsukki. It’s okay now. I’m right here. You’re okay, and I’m okay. We’re safe.”

As he kept murmuring reassurances, he watched the shaking stop, and breathing slow.

“That’s right, it’s okay, Tsukki. I’m here and we’re safe.”

And when Tsukishima reached for him, he opened his arms and let his friend bury his face in his chest, wrapping him tightly in his arms. He rubbed circles into his back as he felt muscles go slack and breathing even out as Tsukishima was overtaken by exhaustion.

“Sleep, Tsukki. I’m not going anywhere.

So with a relieved sigh, he did, letting himself tumble over the edge into unconsciousness as Yamaguchi held him tight.


	6. Safe Harbor

Daichi was exhausted. Every time he moved it was like he found a new ache or bruise to remind him of exactly how long this day had been. But despite some close calls they had made it out in one piece.

Well as close to one piece as they had been before they started anyway.

They’d docked just over an hour ago, fortunately not more than a ten minute walk from the clinic. He was as grateful for that as he was for Asahi’s presence because otherwise he had no idea how they’d have made the final stretch. He’d ended up carrying a still sleeping Tsukishima - hoping the poor kid wouldn’t wake in the noise and movement, one panic attack was enough - and Yamaguchi walking next to him, clinging to his hand. Somehow, Asahi ended up carrying both Yachi and Hinata despite the two being awake, though he suspected puppy eyes or crocodile tears had been employed - Asahi was a softy after all. Kageyama had walked with Suga, politely declining to hold hands but when Daichi had looked back the kid had a fistful of Suga’s shirt - a fact they both quietly ignored.

When they showed up at the door, Ukai had taken one look at their ragtag group and sighed before stepping aside to let them in. There were going to be questions to answer later. Questions he still had no real answers to.

Takeda had given all the kids cursory looks, and determining that there were no injuries that needed immediate care, had let them through the clinic into the apartment beyond. Apparently Suga had thought to warn Takeda - though not Ukai which raised several questions - about their incoming guests, so Suga’s room had been rearranged to fit 5 pallet beds for the kids to sleep on. They got them settled - after prying Hinata off Asahi with the promise he would be back to visit after they slept - and dimmed the room’s lights before slipping out and shutting the door behind them.

After that Daichi had needed out, to just get away for 5 minutes, so when Asahi left, Daichi walked him back to his unit, and took the long route back. He weaved his way through the markets, letting the familiar noise wash over him. He paused against a wall, watching as the poor lighting glinted off the dusty air, air that was filtered and recycled through the colonies extensive duct system.

_ And how many other kids like Suga are living in those ducts right now? _

Catching himself drifting to the very thoughts he’d been trying to escape, he shook his head and pushed off the wall, wandering back into the crowd.

The markets were always busy. Limbo’s constant artificial light and distance from the sun meant that day and night weren’t real concepts on the colony. People just went where they wanted, when they wanted, and rotating shifts kept all but the smallest shops open constantly. Bartering worked just as well as money here, and yelling baseline prices to attract customers was only broken by particularly loud trade disagreements. You could buy pretty much anything on Limbo: food, scrap, weapons, sex, surgery, drugs, and more. The law didn’t hold much sway here, unless that law was survive at all costs.

But as chaotic as it was, with the yelling, the smell of sweat and oil and dead, overfiltered air, the press of the crowd, the feeling that a thousand showers wouldn’t quite wash the dirt of the place off of you, there was something addictive about Limbo. The station may not be kind but it was inarguably alive in a way most places never were.

Emerging from the press of people into a narrow alley, Daichi sighed and began making his way back to the clinic.

He buzzed himself in, and giving a tired wave to Takeda he stifled a yawn before making his way back to Suga’s room and sliding the door open a crack to check on the kids. Thankfully they all seemed to be sleeping peacefully for now, so he closed the door and dragged himself into the kitchen, dropping heavily into a chair. He slumped forward onto the table, letting out a groan.

“That was my chair, you know.” came an amused voice behind him.

Reluctantly he pulled himself back into an approximation of sitting before twisting to see Ukai standing against the counter.

He considered for a moment before responding. “I was wondering why this chair was pulled out when I got here.”

Ukai snorted, pushing off the counter and coming round the table to sit opposite him. “I’d offer you coffee but I’m pretty sure what you actually need is sleep.”

“I’ll get to it at some point.” He frowned. “If I ever figure out how to turn my brain off.”

“Well the best way to do that is to deal with the reason it’s working so hard, or so I’ve heard.”

Daichi groaned in response. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“Didn’t think this far ahead until  _ after  _ you had a group of stolen kids, huh?”

“What was your first guess?” he asked flatly. “Besides, I want to see you try and stop Suga when he’s gotten an idea in his head.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “What are we going to do with them though? I mean, we can’t just let them loose, they’re still kids. And with what they’ve been through they aren’t even the average kid. But we couldn’t leave them there, that would be worse…” 

He lapsed into silence and Ukai took the chance to speak.

“Well long term I have as much an idea as you do about what will happen to them. As for the short term, Takeda and I spoke and we can house them here until they have somewhere safe to go.”

Daichi looked up at him. “Really?”

Ukai shrugged, “Sure, as long as you’re okay sharing a room with Suga until then I don’t see why not.”

A laugh of sheer relief slipped out of his mouth as he felt a weight fall off his shoulders. It wasn’t perfect, but it was far better than where they’d been a few hours ago.

Ukai stood, moving past him in the direction of the clinic, but as he passed he laid a hand on Daichi’s shoulder and squeezed gently.

“Now go get some sleep, because if you fall asleep there I’m not moving you to a bed.” he threw over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

Deciding that Ukai probably meant it, and he’d rather move now than deal with the pain of a night’s sleep sprawled across a table, he dragged himself upright and down the hall to his room. He yawned and stretched as the door slid open, and as tired as he was, it took a moment to process that there was an extra bed and occupant in his room.

At the sound of the door opening, a head of ashy hair emerged from under the covers. 

“I didn’t wake you did I?” Daichi asked.

Suga shook his head. “I wasn’t asleep yet. Couldn’t settle.” he confessed, before giving Daichi a critical up and down glance as he entered the room. “You look like shit.”

“Well we can’t all be blessed by your unflappable charm and good looks.” he replied, flopping down on his bed, and toeing his shoes off, letting them fall to the floor.

Suga snorted before asking, “Did Ukai tell you that the kids can stay?”

He let out an affirmative hum before rolling himself to face Suga. “How are you not tired?”

“I never said I wasn’t tired, I said I wasn’t asleep.”

“No, you said you  _ couldn’t _ sleep.” He hesitated, then asked. “Are you okay?”

Suga let out a bark of laughter, “Well isn’t that a loaded question.”

Daichi forced himself to focus for a moment, to push past his tiredness and take a good look at Suga. Every inch of him was still held with tension, and his eyes were shadowed with fatigue.

“Suga…”

“I’m fine, Daichi.” He cut him off. “I just… It was weird seeing kids there. Could have been me about 10 years ago. It pretty much  _ was _ me about 10 years ago.” He lay back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He wasn’t sure how to reply but he soldiered on. “And then your conversation with Kageyama probably didn’t help.”

Suga turned his head, something close to amusement in his gaze. “I was wondering how much of that conversation you heard. That wasn’t so bad honestly.” And with a more mischievous gleam he continued, “Sure it’s not happy but hey we can’t all have glamorous pasts on Mars farming outposts.”

Snorting, Daichi shot back, “Yeah well you get the glamorous looks and I get the fancy farm boy story so I guess that makes us even.”

Seeing Suga’s shoulders start to shake, he realized what he’d just joked about and he froze, looking for a thousand ways to apologize but was broken out of his thoughts when he realized the noise coming from Suga’s bed was laughter.

“I’d say that makes us even, yeah.” Suga managed between breathless giggles. “You should have seen the look on your face when your brain caught up to your mouth.”

“Laugh it up, Suga.”

As his laughter began to subside into quiet breathing, Daichi noticed that Suga looked more relaxed than he had since this whole thing had started. He noticed that his eyes were beginning to slip closed, and it seemed Suga did too, because he smiled softly once more before saying goodnight and reaching over to flip off the lights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I had a better excuse than my mental health has hit a rough spot and between that and not being able to focus in summer heat this delay was much longer than I wanted it to be.
> 
> As always I'm up for yelling about fictional characters over on [oikawtf](oikawtf.tumblr.com)


	7. lightning in a bottle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for another panic attack type situation
> 
> also this chapter and likely the ones following it may be a bit disjointed seeming because i'm trying to juggle the perspectives of 6 characters as they react to this new situation plus side characters but i promise i'll eventually tie some strings together

Two years ago, Daichi had thought that piloting through meteor fields was the most difficult and exhausting job he’d ever have to endure. It took exactly 4 hours after the kids started waking up to prove him wrong.

He’d heard the expression “like herding cats” before, but he decided whoever had thought that was the worst group of things to corral had never encountered any child like Hinata. Every day he spent trying to keep everyone out of trouble was another lesson in exactly how much he admired parents.

Lessons he then buried most of to stop from wondering what had happened to leave these kids without parents.

Kageyama, he didn’t have to watch for as much. The kid had attached himself to Suga, and more often than not could be seen following him around like a lost duckling. It was kind of cute actually, and Suga was more than happy to pretend to not notice his tagalong except to ask him for help with errands for the clinic.

It was tinged with worry, but he was still relieved that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi showed no interest in leaving the clinic or apartment because keeping track of Hinata was already hard enough. Fortunately, as long as he could keep that head of orange hair in sight, he knew where Yachi was too. The two went everywhere together, and whenever Hinata could pry Kageyama away from Suga long enough, the three of them wandered the markets hand in hand under Daichi’s watchful, and stressed, gaze.

Their favorite stop - or at least Hinata’s favorite, but his enthusiasm was so infectious it could sometimes even wrangle a grin out of Kageyama - was Asahi’s. They’d bullied him into letting them into the shuttle once, and it was all downhill from there. Daichi poked fun at how easily he’d given in but as Asahi had pointed out, it couldn’t do them much harm as long as they were supervised, and it was good for them to be able to play like the kids they were.

And while it was more reassuring than he could have imagined to watch Hinata, Yachi, and Kageyama settle in and relax, it came with a pang of worry for the two still at home.

* * *

 

No one would argue that their escape was easy, but as their first week on Limbo came to a close, Tsukishima thought he could present a decent case arguing that settling in was somehow worse. Or at least more exhausting than it had any right to be. 

It probably didn't help that he'd spent the majority of their first 24 hours of freedom unconscious because the incident on the shuttle, but no one had said anything to him about it and he certainly wasn't about to go giving them the impression he wanted their pity. The look Yamaguchi had given him when he finally woken up was enough.

He’d brushed off Yamaguchi’s concern, and waved off his continued offers of company throughout the week, watching him instead join the company of Takeda, eager to learn about the clinic and life on Limbo. Yesterday, Yamaguchi had poked his head into their shared room to inform Tsukishima that he was going to the markets to pick up some delivery with Takeda.

He’d acted like he didn’t much care but it took more time that he wanted to admit to clamp down on the flickers of panic once he was alone.

It didn’t help that he could hear the occasional whisper between the adults about him, about how he seemed “unsettled”. The worried looks he could feel burning into the back of his skull whenever they thought he wasn’t paying attention.

So when Hinata burst into the room and announced that he was going off to see the shuttle pilot that had brought them here, Tsukishima decided that this would be the best chance to get them all off his back, to prove that he was fine.

Of course he was fine.

He was fine right up until he stepped out of the shuttle - where Asahi was explaining exactly why cannon fire in the middle of a station is a bad thing Hinata please  _ don’t mess with that _ \- to use the toilet and started to make his way back through the scrap store as a rather irate customer was leaving.

An irate customer who collided with him sending him sprawling to the ground.

The man swore loudly, and Tsukishima flinched back, scrambling to his feet and looking around for an escape, but before he could move a hand closed around his wrist and he was being dragged back towards the store kiosk.

Panic dragged him under like a stone, and between his attempts to get away and the fact that he couldn’t seem to hear over his own pulse, he missed what happened next. But he could tell that another person - unfamiliar, not Asahi or any of the others - was yelling and then the pressure around his wrist disappeared along with both raised voices.

For a moment, he stood frozen, but hearing someone approaching he moved, almost without thinking, dropping to the ground and pressing into an empty gap on a low shelf. Once there, he curled up as tight as he could, trying to muffle his breath in the crook of his elbow, and hoping that they would pass him by.

No such luck.

“Hey, that asshole’s gone you can come out now.”

The voice sounded like it was coming through a wall, or from a distance. But it was loud and totally unfamiliar, and that was all that mattered. He didn’t move.

Movement dragged his eyes up, but he flinched back as he realized the voice’s source was bending down to see him.

“I said you could come…” he trailed off, before continuing more concerned, softer. “You okay?”

He didn’t answer.

“Shit. Okay, just, stay put. I’m gonna go get Asahi.”

A thought: the stranger knew Asahi. Another: Asahi was with the others. And another: if the stranger did get Asahi the others would know this happened again, and they can’t know, the whole point was for them to stop worrying, he had to stop him he had to-

And without thinking it through, he reached out and grabbed hold of the strangers shirt, stopping him.

“What?”

He couldn’t speak, couldn’t find the words.

“Look I’m going to get your friends, okay?”

Tsukishima shook his head.

“You don’t want me too?”

A single nod.

And against his expectations, the stranger stopped, dropping to sit on the floor in front of him. “Well okay then.”

Tsukishima took a moment to observe the man across from him. He almost looked like a kid, barely taller than Tsukishima himself. His hair was spiked straight up with a streak of blonde against the brown mess. His face and arms were covered in oil stains and his clothes similarly dirty and it wasn’t until now that he noticed he was still holding a fistful of the man’s shirt in one hand. He let go like it had burned him, and the man’s gaze followed to movement.

“So since it seems like you’re not gonna talk to me anytime soon, I guess I’ll introduce myself. The name’s Nishinoya Yuu. Just call me Noya though, everyone does… well not everyone, Ryuu’s an exception but anyway. Junk collector, shuttle repairman, and scrap hoarder extraordinaire.” He grinned, and continued. “I’m assumin you’re one of the kids Daichi and Suga talked Asahi into helping them get, but I haven’t been around much lately so Yachi and Shouyou are the only one’s I’ve met.”

Noya was… expansive, in Tsukishima’s opinion. He spoke with his hands, and had the confidence of someone who had never doubted his own freedom. He was still brash, but he had a charisma about him that Tsukishima didn’t even notice, even as it distracted him, and pulled him back to shallow waters. He stopped paying attention to the content and just let Noya’s continuous chatter become a surprisingly comforting background hum. His attention was pulled back only when Noya hit a lull, his expression turning somewhat serious.

“Sorry about that guy earlier by the way. Some people don’t know how to take no for an answer.” Noya grinned then, a wicked kind of glee on his face. “I got sick of it so I shut the door on his foot. You should have seen his face!”

Caught off guard, a small huff of laughter made it past Tsukishima’s lips, and Noya’s grin just widened.

“Hey I know this floor party is fun and all but you wanna move it to somewhere more comfy? Like a couch? Or you can head back to the clinic if you want. Up to you.”

He considered for a moment and then slowly began uncurling himself, stiffness evidence of how long they’d sat there. Noya scooted back and sprang up and out of the way so that Tsukishima could awkwardly shuffle out from under the shelf and straighten.

“So, can I get your name? Cause I’m okay calling you ‘hey you’ or ‘blondie’ but I figured you might prefer your own name.”

He cleared his throat before answering, “Tsukishima Kei.”

“Tsukishima it is.” Noya nodded, and began heading towards the shuttle and the back of the shop already talking a mile a minute.

“Um…” Tsukishima hesitated, but Noya had heard him, and stopped, looking back at him expectantly. So he continued, “How… I mean, just- Thanks.”

Noya smiled. “No problem. Now, do you want a drink?” he asked, as he started leading the way back again.

Tsukishima followed him, thinking so hard on how someone who seemed to be vibrating with energy had managed to help him find calm that for once he forgot to ask why someone would bother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this 911? yes i'd like to report myself for bullying my fave character AGAIN
> 
> also a virtual pat on the head for anyone who can guess why Noya has a bit of a grip on how to act around ppl having panic attacks (he's not a professional but he has his own way of helping)


	8. something soft and soaked in pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry about the delay in posting. i am determined to finish this no matter how hard it gets though.
> 
> (apologies for any grammar/spellin mistakes i have no beta and i am tired)

Night was probably the worst time, figured Suga. Or at least, whatever passed for night on a station that ran constantly and without any kind of influence from the sun on its cycle. But it was around this time, when the clinic had shut down, and the kids had been put to bed that things got quiet.

And as much as Suga wanted rest, quiet these days only ever meant too much time to think.

But whether fortunately or unfortunately, nights were rarely quiet or uninterrupted.

Hinata was usually first to wake, tear streaked and terrified, roused by nightmares that bright daytime smiles and exhaustive exploration couldn’t keep at bay once he was asleep. He never woke quietly though, and the noise of his terrified flight from memories typically woke Yachi as well. Fortunately both children’s tears were easily soothed by an adult presence, and as the days went on the nightmares seemed both less frequent and less scary.

Kageyama, on the other hand, was always quiet, but tossed and turned through his dreams, usually waking someone who would come running for Suga or Daichi. Suga hadn’t gotten many details about these dreams - unlike Hinata and Yachi who let the doors of their pasts fly open, Kageyama was much more tight lipped - but he had managed to figure out that Kageyama was at his worse when he was alone, and so bad nights were often spent in Suga’s bed, a fact which was never acknowledged once they were all awake.

It was both endearing and heartbreaking to watch how hard Kageyama tried to appease people. He would follow you around, carefully pretending that it was a coincidence that he was nearby, always ready to jump to attention if you asked him anything. You could watch him catch himself on the edge of questions, trying to stamp out his curiosity in case it led to punishment, or flinch away if he met your gaze on accident. He struggled to know what was expected of him, where the lines he shouldn’t cross were, and it meant he spent most of his time tiptoeing around like he expected things to crumble around him at any minute.

One thing Kageyama never seemed able to account for though was the hurricane force that was Hinata. No one could crash through Kageyama’s careful quiet quite like Hinata could, dragging out irritation, competitiveness, and on rare occasions, even a visible grin. Given time - and with several pairs of watchful adult eyes - those two would be fine, especially with Yachi’s more levelheaded approach around to keep them grounded.

Which left Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

Suga was fairly certain the two boys had nightmares of their own, but in the weeks since the rescue he hadn’t heard or seen anything from either of them. Noya had hinted that Tsukishima might have had a bad moment - though he’d refused to talk more when pressed, saying it wasn’t his right to go sharing but he wanted to make sure someone kept an eye on the kid - but beyond that, nothing solid. However, if Suga were to guess, he’d probably say that any if Tsukishima did have an issue he wouldn’t talk about it to anyone, preferring a quiet facade of normalcy to having to open up.

As for Yamaguchi, he honestly couldn’t tell. During the day, he spent time with Tsukishima or more and more often, helped Takeda around the clinic. He was always quietly polite, but not in the same frightened way that Kageyama adopted, he was just that kind of kid. When everyone was awake, he was the group’s peacemaker, and at night, he was often the first to help the others chase away nightmares, waking Hinata before he woke others, or tucking himself closer to Kageyama either so he could be woken to try and help, or to try and fend off bad dreams with his presence. There was still a cautious air to him, most obvious around new people, who were watched with wary eyes, but out of everyone he seemed to be the most settled.

Which worried Suga more than it probably should.

Still, unless Yamaguchi decided to confide in him, there wasn’t much he could do other than what he was already trying to do by giving these kids the home and safety that had been taken from them.

The same kinds of things that he’d longed for at their age.

And that was the worst of it really. Every time he watched Yachi flinch away from a loud noise, or saw the wariness in Yamaguchi’s gaze, or heard Hinata cry out for his parents, or felt the tension always present in Tsukishima’s shoulders, or noticed Kageyama hold himself back from something that shouldn’t have to be a thought for a kid, he saw himself. He saw all the kids he’d scrambled through ducts with, or that had taught him the best way to lie down so lash marks hurt as little as possible. He saw years of tears and bruises and scars and pain that he thought he’d managed to bury beneath anger. Nightmares he’d thought were long gone had returned full force with the arrival of the kids on Limbo, and it was sadly easier to deal with their demons than to turn and face his own.

He was just grateful that no one noticed the toll it was taking

 

* * *

 

Daichi had always assumed his parents exaggerated when talking about sleepless nights and messed up sleep schedules from when he was younger. He figured it was one of those things parents always made out to be worse than it was, a fond joke that reminded them of how far you’d come since you woke them at all hours, or never let them sleep in the first place.

Apparently they hadn’t been joking in the slightest.

What they had failed to mention though, is that you do almost get used to it. And honestly if losing some sleep meant helping one of the kids then it was worth being tired. And it’s not like he didn’t have help.

Takeda and Ukai had been more than accommodating, and while Daichi knew it wasn’t a permanent solution, knowing that he hadn’t brought 5 children to one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy just to abandon them was an incredible relief. It probably wasn’t as easy on them as they make it seem to take in 7 people, even if they were helping run things, but neither of them had complained once.

But in the end Daichi was pretty sure they’d all agree that Suga was the real hero here. (Or at least the adults would. Daichi was fairly certain Hinata’s answer would be Asahi or Noya.) He worked tirelessly, whether he was watching the kids or helping run the clinic, he was the last to bed at night, and the first up in the morning.

Daichi was beginning to feel less and less certain he was actually getting any sleep.

Not that Suga would give him a straight answer when asked. He had a disarming smile and remarkable talent for changing the subject, but when caught off guard it was becoming more obvious that he was utterly exhausted. But each day he still volunteered for every job, was first into every sticky situation the kids got tangled in, always ready for night time visitors brought by bad dreams.

And even though he was getting used to soothing the kids through nightmares, Daichi found himself utterly unprepared when he woke in the middle of the night to find Suga in the grips of one such dream.

He wasn’t sure what exactly had woken him, since Suga didn’t appear to be making any noise, but he was curled tight, as if trying to shrink into himself, sheets tangled in a white knuckled grasp and breathes coming shallow through clenched teeth in a pained expression. Every muscles seemed to be pulled taut and in the dim light the shadows under his eyes looked almost deathly.

Daichi didn’t know whether he should wake him or get help - though a voice in his head whispered “you are the help” - but then Suga made a low frightened sound, and reflexively, Daichi reached for him, laying a hand gently on his shoulder.

That was all it took to wake him, and though the tension didn’t release in the slightest, Suga was now looking at him with wide, frightened eyes.

For a second he understood completely, the almost immobilizing rage he’d seen in Suga back on the Seekers ship, that urge to destroy anything and everything that had played a part in putting that fear in Suga’s expression, that exhaustion, that everything. But he pushed it aside. Suga was here, and hurting, and that anger wouldn’t help him.

“Hey,” he started, voice low and careful. “Sorry about waking you but you looked…” There was no good end to that sentence so he just skipped to the more important question. “You alright?”

He could see Suga falter over the answer, like he wasn’t even sure if he should try to lie and say he was fine. It was clear the nightmare, whatever it had been, still had its hooks in him, and his fingers clenched and unclenched, grasping at hands of sheets to try and ground himself.

Daichi backed off. “How about we get back to sleep and talk in the morning?” he suggested.

Chewing his lip, Suga nodded faintly, like he still wasn’t sure if he was awake. Watching him survey the room, gaze lingering on the door and in shadows, Daichi recalled a conversation he’d overheard between Kageyama and Suga in the first week they’d been here.

“Would it help if I kept watch?” he offered.

From what he’d gathered, it was a gesture of trust to let someone keep watch, to not leave you to danger while you slept and were vulnerable. It had taken weeks to break the children of the habit, and until now Daichi had never considered it was something Suga would have needed as well. That on occasion he still might need someone to watch while he was vulnerable, because Suga never seemed vulnerable.

But he did now.

He moved to the end of his bed so that he was closer to the door than Suga. He wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight but right now that was the furthest thing from his mind. As long as Suga felt better, he was fine. He could catch up on sleep later.

“Sleep, Suga. I won’t let anything happen.”

There was a brief moment of shifting and then silence from Suga’s side of the room, and after a few minutes Daichi assumed that he’d fallen asleep.

Until Suga’s soft voice the silence broke one last time.

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shout out to 21p for giving me chapter titles that make me seem fake deep tho. ur the real mvp.
> 
> also come visit me @oikawtf on tumblr to yell about haikyuu whenever

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to [knightswatch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightswatch) for the encouragement this would never have started without you


End file.
